Task 1: Research into story writing techniques & historical/contemporary comics, graphic novels & illustrations

The World’s Greatest Superheroes

Story/Narrative: The story is about Superman, Batman, Robin and Wonder Woman teaming up to catch the thief of X-ray equipment from the hospital.

Style of drawing: This comic strip is very dramatic. It uses shadows and highlights to make the characters and environments look more realistic. For example the shadows underneath the cars show the light coming from the building. This makes the setting more like real life. This strip looks very graphic as oppose to hand drawn.

Images/Text: The images and text work well together. The images are able to illustrate what is happening in the comic strip and the text is able to explain it.

The artist is able to show dramatic tension by using close up images of the superhero showing the expression on their face. In this case it is Batman.

https://bmj2k.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/heroes.jpg

Beano

Story/Narrative: The story is about raising money for the comic relief charity. It includes different ways that the characters are going to raise money for the charity.

Style of drawing:This style of drawing is an over-the-top cartoon

Parts of the comic strip make the atmosphere light and entertaining. The part where Dan is doing car washing provides humour for the reader. The part where Lenny Henry is falling through the floor also provides humour to the reader.

Images/Text: The images illustrate the story. Using colourful images is important as it makes the comic appealing. I think this particular comic is aimed at a younger audience.

http://s653.photobucket.com/user/TwoHeadedBoy/media/Beano2-1.jpg.html

Garfield

Story/Narrative: This story is based on the character Garfield. Although the comic strip does not have any text you can see from the illustrations what is happening. It is about animals trying to eat one another. Starting with a worm, who is caught by a bird, who is then caught by a cat, who is then caught by a dog. The story ends with all the characters together with a person reading a scary stories book. This gives the reader the impression that the person reading the book will turn round and be scared by what they see.

Style of drawing:The style of this drawing is a basis cartoon.

Images/Text: The images here are used to tell the reader the story as there is no text to read.

I think this comic strip is aimed at children as it is young humour. It uses simple brightly coloured image which would appeal to children.

http://tapvd.home.xs4all.nl/Pictures/Garfield_20000903.gif

Sin City

Story/Narrative: This story is set in a fictional city in America, it has a high crime rate and the Police are described as lazy and corrupt.

Style of Drawing: Based on Film Noir, It is mainly black and white but uses different colours in certain scenes to draw attention to a certain detail.

Images/Text: The artist has used shadows to emphasise the seedy/criminal side of a city.

I think this comic strip is aimed at a more mature audience. More serious themes explored.

https://visualisdigital.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/graphic-novel-1-black.jpg

Biggles

http://www.dandare.info/artists/images/western_biggles_sm.jpg

Story/Narrative: These stories are set in various War situations, e.g. First and Second World wars. Biggles is the Hero.

Style of Drawing: More realistic features on people and Vehicles, but the backgrounds are unrealistic

Images/Text: The images and text work well together. The images are able to illustrate what is happening in the comic strip and the text is able to explain it. The text used in this type of comic may seem a little old fashioned as it was wrote such a long time ago.

I think this type of comic is aimed at young adventurous boys who like to enjoy a bit of escapism. This may of encouraged children to go out and play as there was no computers for kids to play on in those days.

Spiderman

Story/Narrative: The stories are about a super hero. A young man gained super powers after being bit by a spider. The story follows him protecting the city from crime and villians.

Style of Drawing: The comic strip characters have realistic features. The background images are of wherever the story in taking place.

Images/Text: The images in the comic strip show both close up of faces as well as showing people in conversation. Shows realistic colours to the images. There is quite a lot of writing, but I think this is needed to get the story across.

I think this comic is aimed at young children who like superheroes. I may also be appealing to adults who are a fan of superhero comics.

http://www.dograt.com/WordPress/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/800_Spiderman_20110717_large.gif

V for Vendetta

Story/Narrative: On Guy Fawkes night, V , who wears a Guy Fawkes mask detonates explosives in the Houses of Parliament. V is classified as a terrorist under White Supremacist Rule.

Style of Drawing: Is a cartoon style drawing with mainly black/dark background the other colours are quite dull.

Images/Text: Lots of use of black and dark colours to show a post-apocalyptic era. There is quite a lot of writing, so that the story makes sense.

This graphic novel is aimed at adults. It has inspired the Anonymous movement, who also use the Guy Fawkes masks during protest marches.

http://www.zonanegativa.com/2008/5917.jpg

Watchmen

Story/Narrative: Set in the 1980’s the story follows some aging retired costumed superheroes who have uncovered a plot to kill them along with lots in innocent people. They reunite to avert a global apocalypse.

Style of Drawing: Bright, colourful and ultra-detailed pictures.

Images/Text: Some of these images are very graphic, there is no text on this piece. The images tell a powerful story on their own.

This graphic novel was wrote to re-introduce adults to the world of comics, through their scripts and graphic and detailed artwork.

http://cdn1.thisisinfamous.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Watchmen-2.jpg

Batman The Dark Knight Returns

Story/Narrative: Set in the near-future of Gotham, Bruce Wayne is older and retired before coming back into crime fighting.

Style of drawing: The background images are dark and shadowy, this is to represent the street at night and the characters have realistic features.

Image/text: The text isn’t dialogue, but what he is thinking. Some of the images are drawn from different angles.

The artist took the camp character of Batman and re-invented him into the cool brooding character that he is today. This has made Batman open to a wider audience, as adults would be more interested.

http://static.comicvine.com/uploads/original/4/43640/1043903-batmantdkr4_190_the_dark_knight_falls.jpg

Maus: The complete Maus

Story/Narrative: An autobiographical work telling the story of Polish Jews living and surviving in Hilter’s Europe. The characters are animals

Style of Drawing: The artist has used images taken from the war and changed them into a cartoon format. Changing the people to mice, and the Germans to cats.

Images/Text: The images are black and white, this shows the dark times during the holocaust. The text is relevant to the ear and time that it was set.

The artist uses animals to get over the reality of living in fear during that time. By using cats and mice this shows the relationship between the Jewish people and the German authorities.

http://www.comicbookbin.com/artman2/uploads/8/maus.jpg